Besieged by critics and calls to quit, tainted by yet another ­penalty, the German saved his best for the biggest race of the year as he roared to pole for the first time in six years.

On the Monte Carlo stage he loves so much, the Old Master couldn’t help himself.

He roared to the 96th pole of his career. And what a lap it was; edgy, flawless and daring, ­kissing barriers at 180mph and hitting every apex.

The old fox, who hasn’t even reached the podium in nearly two and half years, shattered the dreams of men barely born when he first made headlines with pole in 1994.

Written off as the ageing bad boy, well past his best, the ­Mercedes ace proved there is life in the old dog yet.

Eighteen years since he first dominated Saturday here by the Med in 1994 he was on pole again. His eyes misted up as he drank in the adulation of the fans. But, of course, it wouldn’t have been Schumacher without a lurking controversy.

Just as he was the villain of the piece in 2006 when he ­deliberately parked his Ferrari at Rascasse to stop Fernando Alonso’s hopes of pole, he arrived here with another penalty.

This time it was a five-place grid demotion for the type of driving that would embarrass a bumbling old codger in an ­Austin 1100, Schumacher screaming up on Bruno Senna’s Williams at the last round in ­Barcelona, mistiming his braking and clattering into the blameless Brazilian trying to get out of his way.

The price yesterday to wreck the perfect Mercedes story line. “I bet he’s kicking himself,” said McLaren’s Jenson Button. “Michael has come in for a lot of criticism since he’s come back.

“We all forget what has achieved. Today he put a great lap together.”

But nostalgia only goes so far in F1. “Michael has been a great driver, we all like beating him, not him beating us,” said ­Button’s boss Martin Whitmarsh.

“We are not going to be so misty eyed. Credit to him, he achieved many great things, not always in the style or spirit we enjoy, but penalty or no penalty we still want to beat him in the race.”

Schumacher remained ­philosophical as Mark Webber’s Red Bull was gifted pole. “I am not thinking about two weeks ago, just about now and going forward,” he said.

“I told everyone before today the target was pole and to try to win and even if I’m starting sixth the target is the same.

“Making pole after what ­happened in the last two and half years is just fabulous.

“This is a way of reminding people I’m still around.”

Down the pit lane Button, was a puzzled 13th, proving how merciless these mean streets can be to the slickest of talents.

“I’m as confused as anyone where my pace went,” said ­Button who was fastest on Thursday.

It was left to Lewis Hamilton to save McLaren’s blushes by taking a fourth that became third.

Hamilton insisted he is in the victory hunt: “It feels like a long time since I last won.

“It’d be a dream to win here even though I’ve done it once before and it’s the dream that spurs me on.”